[a. F. théophilanthropie, intended to express ‘love to God and man’: cf. prec.] The deistic system of the theophilanthropists, based on a belief in the existence of God and in the immortality of the soul.
Theophilanthropy was adopted in France as a substitute for Roman Catholicism. It died out c. 1801–2.
1798. W. Taylor, in Monthly Rev., XXVII. 500. The rise of Martinism and of Theophilanthropy.
1847. J. Hare, Vict. Faith, 7. His Christianity … has been stunted and enervated,… into a sort of sentimental theophilanthropy.
1895. Péronne, Veil of Liberty, 395. The pastor of Versailles closed his church … and reopened it to preach Theophilanthropy.
